Press release

Humaniti Montréal real estate project does things in style

Construction starts on HUMANITI Montréal, which will include a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel

MONTRÉAL, July 6, 2017
Cogir Real Estate, in partnership with the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ, has officially broken ground on the HUMANITI Montréal project. At the same time, Cogir immobilier and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ announced that the hotel slated to be built as part of this project, HUMANITI Hôtel Montréal, will be under the Autograph Collection Hotels banner, making it the first property under this brand, owned by the world’s largest hotel chain, Marriott, to appear in Montréal. It will be recalled that HUMANITI, a unique mixed-use project, is the first of its kind in Canada. 

On hand for the official ground-breaking ceremony were the project’s promoter and President and CEO of Cogir, Mathieu Duguay, the President and CEO of the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ, Normand Bélanger, Serge Primeau, Vice-President, Canadian Operations Urgo Hotels Canada and the Senior Vice-President, Natural Resources, Industries, Entertainment and Consumer Goods at Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Janie Béïque. 

HUMANITI Montréal, a mixed-use project focusing on the human experience in a connected vertical village

Comprising a 200-room hotel, over 300 rental units, 150 condominiums, 60,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of commercial space, the project will occupy the entire block bordered by Viger, De Bleury, De La Gauchetière and Hermine Streets, complementing the Quartier international de Montréal and providing a spectacular view of Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle. Founded on the concept of “live, work and play,” HUMANITI will be a source of pride for Montrealers, with its outstanding architecture designed by Lemay.  

HUMANITI Hotel Montréal, the first Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Québec

A luxury, four-star boutique hotel, HUMANITI Hotel Montréal will have 193 rooms between the 10th and 18th floors. The hotel will also feature a 100-seat restaurant, a 60-80-seat lounge-bar, reception and meeting rooms with a capacity of 300 guests, a spa, a gym, an outdoor roof-top pool and access to the building’s indoor parking.   The hotel will be managed by Urgo Hotels Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Urgo Hotels and Resorts. Urgo Hotels Canada is renowned for its management quality and exceptional performance. The seven hotels it manages in Québec are among the most successful in their respective markets. Urgo Hotels and Resort owns and/or manages a group of 45 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada, including some 20 under the Marriott banner.

Projet immobilier Humaniti
From left to right: Renée Benhaïm, P.Eng., Project Director – Humaniti Program; Janie Béïque, Senior Vice-President, Natural Resources, Industries, Entertainment and Consumer Goods, Fonds de solidarité FTQ; Normand Bélanger, President and CEO, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ; Mathieu Duguay, Chair of the Board and CEO of COGIR

Quotes

“We’re delighted to break ground and make this signature project in the heart of downtown Montréal a reality. HUMANITI has been designed to offer its residents a pleasant, efficient and satisfying lifestyle in a connected community. The pedestrian esplanade, urban chalet, rooftop swimming pools, terraces and nearby stores and businesses will foster interaction. Electric charging stations and carpooling services will be available to HUMANITI residents, and a mobile app will facilitate connectivity and sharing.” - Mathieu Duguay, Chairman and CEO, Cogir.

“With this project of over $200 million, HUMANITI will boost the city’s economy, create over 1,700 jobs and revitalize downtown Montréal. In HUMANITI, we are combining the strengths of our city – business, tourism and value-added shopping – in an attractive mixed-use project that will also be a desirable place to live.  We’re delighted to team up with a quality partner like Cogir and show the strength of our network with this joint investment between the Fonds immobilier and Fonds de solidarité FTQ.” – Normand Bélanger, President and CEO, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ

 

“Each one of Marriott’s Autograph Collection hotels is unique in terms of location, luxury, trendiness, design and personality. The HUMANITI project was very inspirational in this regard due to the value it offers and its local inspiration. We found the project very exciting, as did Marriott, and had no trouble convincing them to add it to their unique hotel collection.  There is no doubt in our minds that HUMANITI’S DNA will allow us to elevate the hotel’s performance to the same level as the rest of the properties in our North-American hotel portfolio.” - Serge Primeau, Vice-President, Operations and Development, Urgo Hotels Canada.

“With tourism on the rise in Montréal, the hotel market is booming. In 2016, the City welcomed over 10.2 million tourists, compared to 9.6 million a year earlier, an increase of about 6%. Besides creating jobs during the construction, the hotel is expected to generate 80 jobs when it opens in spring 2020. The $9 million investment made together with the Fonds immobilier has given us the exceptional opportunity to work with the Marriott franchise and its international distribution network. We hope to replicate this concept elsewhere in Canada and are especially delighted to have been able to attract the Autograph Collection banner to Québec.” - Janie Béïque, Senior Vice-President, Natural Resources, Industries, Entertainment and Consumer Goods.

Project name

HUMANITI

Address

Bordered by De Bleury, Viger, De La Gauchetière and Hermine streets

Rental units

335 (24 floors)

Condo units

150 (14 floors – upper section)

Hotel

193 rooms (8 floors)

Office space (for lease or sale)

60,000 ft2 (5 floors)

Retail space

15,000 ft2

Parking 

5 levels, underground / 490 spots / 125 bike spaces 

Gym

4,000 ft2

Terraces

3 (1 exclusively for condominium use)

Swimming pools

2 (roof space above office and hotel areas)

Other amenities

Urban chalet  (exclusively for condominium use)

Pedestrian esplanade 

Lounge areas and spa

Electric charging stations

Auto-share stations

Humaniti mobile app and janitorial service

Shared open areas

Demolition of current building

June 2017

Beginning of construction

June 2017

First deliveries

Summer 2020

Hotel inauguration

Spring 2020

Delivery deadline

2020

Sustainable development

Aiming for LEED and WELL certifications

About Cogir

Founded in 1995, Cogir Real Estate is a Québec company with close to 2,700 employees who are passionate about real estate and who work day-in, day-out to satisfy their customers. Its team manages a portfolio valued at some $3.5 billion, consisting of over 150 properties in Québec, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Cogir also manages more than 7 million square feet of residential, commercial, industrial and office real estate, as well as more than 17,200 units in retirement homes and rental buildings. The company also has extensive experience in hotel management. 

About the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ

Created in 1991, the Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ promotes economic growth and employment in Québec by strategically investing in profitable and socially responsible real estate projects in partnership with other industry leaders. The Fonds immobilier backs residential, office, commercial, institutional and industrial projects of all sizes across Québec. The Fonds immobilier is a member of the Canada Green Building Council.

www.fondsimmobilierftq.com 

About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ

The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is a development capital investment fund that channels the savings of Quebecers into investments. As at May 31, 2017, the organization had $13.1 billion in net assets, and through its current portfolio of investments has helped create and protect 186,440 jobs. The Fonds is a partner in more than 2,700 companies and has 645,664 shareholder-savers. Please visit fondsftq.com for more information. 

About the Autograph Collection Hotels

Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott International, Inc., celebrate individuality by curating one-of-a-kind travel experiences at more than 110 luxury lifestyle hotels in nearly 30 countries and territories, among the world’s most desirable destinations. Exactly like nothing else, Autograph Collection properties are hand selected for their rich character and uncommon details. A personal realization of an individual founder’s vision, these hotels are defined by unique design, differentiated guest experiences and their meaningful role in locality. Autograph Collections Hotels is proud to participate in the industry’s award-winning loyalty program, Marriott Rewards which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards. Members can now link accounts with Starwood Preferred Guest at members.marriott.com for instant elite state matching and unlimited points transfer. For more information, please visit www.autographhotels.com and explore our social media channels on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to learn more about championing the independent spirit that is #exactlylikenothingelse.

Website: humanitimontreal.com

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Sources: Cogir Immobilier and Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ

Information: Brigitte Pouliot, Cogir

T.: 450 766-2457 C.: 438 869-6390 bpouliot@cogir.net 

Josée Lagacé, Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ 

T.: 514-847-5710 C.: 514-707-5180 jlagace@fondsimmobilierftq.com